Last Update: March 01, 2023, 3:00 PM IST
Apple is facing multiple cases
Apple abused its dominant position by imposing its in-app purchase payment technology on music streaming app developers
The European Commission updated its anti-trust case against Apple on Tuesday, sending the tech giant a new statement of objections clarifying its concerns over App Store rules for music streaming providers.
The commission said Apple violated antitrust laws by blocking rival music firms such as Spotify from advertising where and how users could subscribe to its app.
According to the statement of objections, Apple abused its dominant position by imposing its in-app purchase payment technology on music streaming app developers and by restricting the app developers’ ability to notify iPhone and iPad users of alternative music subscription services .
“If the Commission concludes, after the company has exercised its rights of defence, that there is sufficient evidence of infringement, it may decide to prohibit the conduct and impose a fine of up to 10 per cent of the annual worldwide turnover of the company , “said the decision.
Spotify first filed a complaint against Apple in 2019. In June 2020, the commission initiated formal proceedings into Apple’s rules for app developers on the distribution of apps through the App Store. In April 2021, the Commission sent a statement of objections to Apple, to which Apple responded in September 2021.
The commission issued a preliminary “statement of objections” against Apple in 2021, outlining potential violations of antitrust law.
According to the latest statement of objections, “the Commission takes the preliminary view that Apple’s anti-steering obligations constitute unfair trading conditions in breach of Article 102 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (‘TFEU’).
“In particular, the Commission is concerned that the anti-steering obligations imposed by Apple on music streaming app developers prevent those developers from informing consumers whether and how to subscribe to streaming services at low cost.”
This is not the final decision, and it is now up to Apple to prepare its defense.
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(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed)